Chamber: Staffing an issue for Pullman businesses

The Pullman Chamber of Commerce director said Wednesday that some businesses planning to open at 50 percent capacity are struggling to find staff.

“Nobody wants to work,” Marie Dymkoski said. “Why? Because they can make more on unemployment in some cases.”

This is one of the updates Dymkoski provided to Rotary Club of Pullman during its weekly meeting.

Starting Monday, restaurants, gyms and stores can allow 50 percent capacity. Restaurants, in particular, have staffing concerns because employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are worried about serving people without masks, Dymkoski said. They want to wait until they get their shots before coming back to work.

Pullman restaurant The Black Cypress, which will reopen for dine-in services on March 28, posted a message on Facebook last week asking the public to sign a petition asking Gov. Jay Inslee and the Department of Health for more clarity on when restaurant workers will be eligible for vaccines.

Starting Wednesday, Washington residents eligible for vaccinations now include workers in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, public transit, firefighters and law enforcement, among others. Phase 1B, Tier 2 also includes people over the age of 16 who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high-risk.

Staffing issues add to a long list of challenges that Pullman businesses have faced during the past year. Dymkoski said many businesses have closed and she fears more closures in the future.

However, it is not all bad news. Restaurants such as Round Top Public House, Neill’s Coffee and Ice Cream, Yia Yia Nikki’s have found a way to open during the pandemic. The latest will be the new Chipotle on Brelsford Drive, set to open Friday.

Dymkoski said potential entrepreneurs have shown interest in vacant downtown spaces, including the former Lumberyard food hall and the former Plasma Center.

“It’s not that those things are just sitting there being boarded up,” she said. “I think we’re going to see some action on that.”

She added that in addition to the new barbecue food truck, Miss Huddy’s Barbecue, that began operating this year, two more food truck owners have contacted Dymkoski about operating in Pullman.

Existing Whitman County businesses so far have received $28 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Dymkoski said. The Southeast Washington Economic Development Association has helped businesses receive more than $1.6 million.

Looking ahead, Dymkoski said it is still unclear when the city can begin preparing for the return of the National Lentil Festival. She said it needs more clarification from Inslee about rules regarding outdoor festivals.

“Right now, I can tell you that we have not been able to make plans for a National Lentil Festival,” she said.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.